Britta for the Win(ger)
by samanddianefan10
Summary: After Britta successfully pulled off the Sophie B. Hawkins dance, Jeff comes to a new appreciation of how d nice..Britta being Britta could be.


Britta for the Win(ger)

Britta sat down in on her sofa, pulled one of her one eyed cats close to her, and sat back and smiled. Just smiled.

How Sophie B. Hawkins actually wound up showing up at the dance she coordinated, she had no idea. But to Britta, life was hard enough that she'd take a respite in any shape or form, even in the form of a 90's singer with only a few hits who managed to help her take back her name.

Now when someone at Greendale referred to someone "Britta-ing" something, it would no longer refer to someone royally screwing up.

Yes, finally fate was on her side, and for the first time in a long, long time that she could remember, Jeff Winger could not possibly use this to insult and humiliate her.

0000

Yes, that was his thing. He was sarcastic, and she knew he hid his own sadness at some of his life events (namely his father abandoning him and his mother very early on)...and though he started the group with less than noble intentions (to get down her pants), still, seeing the friendships that were really starting to form within a group of students who all could relate to feeling like the misfit of the school- that was an unexpected benefit.

Not that she would ever give Jeff the credit for starting something that had become so meaningful to them all.

After all, he was Jeff Winger, and...wait. Why was she even thinking of him? This was her night, all about her, no thanks to his baiting of her...tonight she'd probably enjoy her soy latte, cuddle with her cats, and, as was usual for her as of late, pass out on the couch watching some boring national news channel. No, Jeff wasn't here, so she could be honest. She didn't have that much interest in bettering the nation at that point- she was going to turn on the tv to her favorite sitcom, preferably a rerun of a favorite episode she'd seen dozens of time, and fall asleep.

That was the plan, all right. But the one thing she did not plan for was for Jeff's unexpected and unannounced visit.

"Jeff?" Britta rubbed her eyes, only slightly opening the door. She had a bag of chips and empty container of dip on the coffee table, and the last thing she needed after actually getting something done right was for Jeff to come into her place and criticize her eating habits (not to mention her housekeeping ones.)

"Is this a private club? Do I need some code to enter? Actually I think I used that line on you after meeting you for the first time and trying to get down your pants.." Jeff laughed.

She frowned. "That's not funny. And yes, you did use that line. But anyways, I'm really tired and my place is a wreck and I have my comfy pj pants on and...wait..why I am even explaining any of this to you?"

He laughed. "Because despite your very public denials- reminiscent of Shakespeare's quote about 'methinks you doth protest too much'...I think you wanted me here. You mentioned your house because you want me to bait you, just to keep you back in your comfort zone of feeling sorry for yourself and not trying too hard to really accomplish anything with your life..."

Britta looked down quickly, trying really, really hard not to let Jeff know how badly his comments could come across. Maybe it was that she was coming off of the high of the dance, the high of the sudden and unexpected boost in her self-esteem...but for some reason Jeff's words cut her to the core. Trying to shut the door, but realizing Jeff had now placed his hand in the doorway, Britta didn't even look up at him. "What? What now, Jeff! What do you want from me?"

It took her a minute to realize that not only was he being suspiciously and unusually quiet, but he was staring at her. And he didn't have the look of mocking disappoval that he usually wore when he interacted with her. "Britta..." his voice softened.

"No, Jeff! You're not doing this to me, not now!" She stared at him definatly, and felt a diatribe coming on. "You're not coming into my apartment where I pay rent-yes, sometimes I've been two weeks late on rent, and sometimes I have to fake-cry so the electric company guy doesn't shut me off...but this is my home. The living room is a mess, I'm a mess, my hair's pulled back in this lazy ponytail with a scrunchie-yes, a scrunchie- but you know what? It's my life and I have a right to Britta it if I want to!"

She closed her eyes, waiting for the sting of his retort, but it never came. Actully, neither did his retort.

"Well?" she demanded, staring at him.

"Well, what?"

"Jeff, I'm too tired for this. If I don't get my cucumber on my eyelids pretty soon I'm going to wake up with such puffy eyes..."

"Oh, so that's what that cucumber over on the tv is for. I was beginning to think that it's just been a really, really long time for you," Jeff laughed.

Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. "Winger!"

"Relax," he calmly spoke up. "I'm not here to criticize your looks or your hair or your apartment...Good Lord, Britta, when was the last time you watered that plant over there?"

"Two weeks ago," she sighed.

"Anyways, Britta...I am not here to judge any of those things."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because...while I was too busy waiting for you to 'Britta' your own dance, I realize now that I forgot one thing."

She stared at him.

"I forgot to ask you for a dance," Jeff smiled.

"Oh, yeah, as if!"

He took her hand to keep her from slamming the door on his face. Not that he could blame her for being hesitant to believe him...Pierce had been right about one thing. Jeff hadn't really been fair or that nice to her. He knew it was because he still resented her rejecting his advances when they first met, but he wasn't quite ready to admit to that..yet. "It doesn't even have to be in your apartment, if you're self-conscious. It can be..it can be.." he looked around. "Right here, in this hallway."

Britta scoffed. "In the hallway? Now I know you're full of..."

"The only thing, and you can trust me on this one, that I'm full of right now is appreciation for all you do."

"Yeah, well, even I don't know how I managed to pull that one off..."

he took her hand, and she followed him out into the hallway.

"You did good, Perry. I mean that. Now shall we dance?"

Despite her really, really wanting to yell, to run away, to use sarcasm to avoid having to deal with her own uncertainty of herself, Britta found herself smiling and accepting his offer.

No music, very obnoxious overhead lights...but it didn't matter. At that moment, they were sharing a dance, and everything else about their messed up friendship could wait. They were dancing.

Their eyes met, and Britta found herself slightly opening her mouth, and Jeff was leaning in for the kiss, when they were interrupted by a neighbor's yell. "Better get it done, boy, before she Britta's this night for you!" the guy chuckled.

Jeff turned around. "Nothing would make me happier at this moment than if she were to 'Britta this moment." In fact, I'm pretty proud of how she 'Britta's the moment..."

"Jeff!" Britta smiled.

They looked at each other again, and then she found herself inviting him inside her place.

She turned around, and Jeff closed his eyes. "You locked yourself out of your apartment, didn't you?"

She sighed. "I should have known...it figures I'd 'Britta' this..."

as she slunk down to the ground, her back against the door to her now unaccessable apartment, Jeff joined her. "If by 'Britta'ing' this, you mean that you're only human and not infallable, as are any of us in this crazy experience of being a human being, and that you're entitled to not be perfect, to be able to be yourself without fear of judgment or mockery, that you've accepted that you're not perfect and you shouldn't try to be...that the real you is the best anyone can ever ask for from you...than yes, I'd say you'd Britta'd this moment..." he smiled.

It didn't take her very long to fall asleep as she leaned against his shoulder. There were a million places Jeff could have been at that moment, but he was with his friend Britta, and there really was no other place he would have rather be.-

The fact that she was dead asleep and would be quiet for the next few hours didn't hurt matters either.

So he rested his head against hers, and without any resentments, expectations, or frustrations, Jeff just stayed by her side, and he didn't even check his cell phone once.

He could have taken photos and shared them with the study group, used them to blackmail or humilate her, but instead he just did...nothing.

Sometimes having a friend like Britta was worth more than a hundred dates with any of the women Jeff could have picked to be with that night.

It might be a boring next few hours, but she certainly deserved the rest. Not only that, but she also deserved a lot better from him...for one thing, she'd fully earned his respect.

This night sure turned out differently than he'd expected it too, but as with Britta, sometimes the best moments in life happened not when you were trying too hard, or making a million little plans that often would go wrong...but by just letting her be herself, he found that maybe, just maybe, he could start to learn how to let people close to him.

After all, what could possibly be closer than a dead asleep female, drool coming from her mouth, some bursts of quite loud snoring, and an awkwardly placed arm as Britta was now being with him?

As it turned now...nothing. Nothing at all.

The end


End file.
